* Morpheme: The smallest unit of meaning in a language. It can be a word (like "cat") or a part of a word (like the "-ing" in "running").
* Syllable: A unit of pronunciation consisting of a single vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants.
Here's a breakdown:
* Morphemes can be smaller than syllables: For example, the word "unbreakable" has three syllables but four morphemes: "un-", "break", "-able".
* Syllables can contain multiple morphemes: The word "cat" is both a single syllable and a single morpheme. But the word "cats" has one syllable but two morphemes ("cat" and the plural marker "s").
* Morphemes can be silent: The word "knife" has one syllable but two morphemes: "knife" and the silent "e" that marks the singular form.
In summary: Morphemes are about meaning, while syllables are about pronunciation. While there can be overlap between the two, they are distinct concepts.